St. Helens roars to life (again)

March 25, 2005 by

Pilots flying over southern Washington State and northern Oregon had to alter their flight plans on Tuesday, March 8, when Mt. St. Helens erupted for the second time in five months.

The eruption, which occurred around 5:30 p.m., sent a cloud of smoke and ash some 40,000 feet into the air. Aircraft were warned to avoid the area. A TFR has been in place around the mountain since the October eruption.

No injuries were reported from the latest eruption. The area has been sparsely populated since 1980, when a volcanic eruption killed 57 people and took more than 1,000 feet off the top of the mountain.

Scientists who continue to monitor the mountain say more eruptions are likely.